Welcome back to Sweet Saturday Sample!  All excerpts here are rated PG-13 or milder.  I’m continuing with my Victorian short story, Heart of Deception.

The story, set in London, 1860, follows Lady Celinda Graham, who is head-over-heels in love with a man to whom her father has strong objections.  In this sample, just for Valentine’s Day, we see how the couple met.  I hope you enjoy.

Celinda had known from the very start that Andrew was something out of the ordinary.  She had met Lord Hurston two months earlier, at the Hamptons’ gala ball opening the London social season.  Her heart began to beat a bizarre, staccato rhythm at the sight of the tall, dark-haired stranger, dressed in the elegance of a black swallowtail coat, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He walked towards her, deep in conversation with Lady Hampton, who smiled and nodded at him while shooting speculative glances at Celinda.

“Lady Celinda Graham, may I present Andrew Finley, Viscount Hurston?  My lord, Lady Celinda Graham.”  Lady Hampton’s presence melted away as Celinda curtsied to the handsome man, her eyes only for him.

“Lady Celinda, I am enchanted.” His deep voice sent shivers through her.   “I am just returned from America and so have not had the honor of making your acquaintance.  A devastation of which I am now acutely aware. ”   Celinda blushed at the compliment and tried not to smile.  “May I hope, Lady Celinda, that you will allow me to lead you out for the first dance?”

Without even checking her dance card, Celinda nodded and gave him her hand.  Smiling broadly, the viscount swept her into the first waltz where she was caught in the depths of his fascinating crystal blue eyes.   The heat of his hand penetrated through her long white gloves as he guided her into the dizzying whirl of the dance.  Crisp linen and faint, spicy cologne wafted over her, setting her pulse into a frantic beat.  By the end of the waltz she was convinced this was the man she was destined to marry.

But destiny can be a two-edged sword! Come back next week for another little snippet to see if what Papa’s objections to the young man are.

Hope you enjoyed today’s sample of Heart of Deception.  It’s available for the tempting price of .99 at Books To Go Now, Amazon, All Romance E-Books, and Barnes and Noble.

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